Coventry City Football Club have secured the services of Tony Mowbray as first team manager on a two-year deal

18 May 2015

Kieran Crowley

The City boss extends his stay with the Sky Blues after extensive talks with the club's owners and board on the direction of the club...

Coventry City have secured the services of Tony Mowbray as first team manager on a two-year deal.

Mowbray joined the Sky Blues on a short-term contract in March until the end of the 2014/15 season and guided City to League One safety with a run of just four defeats in 14 games.

The 51-year old enjoyed a successful playing career with spells at Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich Town before moving into management with Scottish side Hibernian in 2004.

His success with Hibs attracted the attention of West Bromwich Albion in 2006, and Mowbray guided the Black Country side to the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League in the 2007/08 season before moving on to manage home-town club Middlesbrough and Celtic.

Following extensive talks with the club's owners and board on the future direction of the club, Mowbray has penned a two-year deal and will start work on City's 2015/16 campaign immediately.

City chief executive Steve Waggott said: "We're absolutely delighted that Tony has signed a long-term contract with the club.

"Following the club's final game of the season against Crawley, the club's owners and the board had talks with Tony on where he wanted to take the club and the blueprint needed to get us there.

"We've worked on a lot of details with Tony and, over the coming days, we hope we can announce further changes in terms of the club’s infrastructure. That will mean there is a better structure at Coventry City for Tony to achieve his, and all of our, future aims and ambitions.

"Ever since Tony joined us in March, we've been extremely impressed by his experience and demeanour, and we are looking forward to a busy summer and what will hopefully be a successful season.

“He was the overwhelming choice as manager among supporters and many I have spoken to over the past couple of weeks have said securing his services would show a real statement of intent from the club.

“We’ve made that statement now by bringing him in and we see this as a fresh start in taking the club forward.”